How to Understand Your Criminal Record Check (CRC)
When you receive your Criminal Record Check (CRC) report from HURU, it’s important to understand what it means and how to interpret it.
This step-by-step guide breaks down each section of the report so you can read it with confidence.
1. Verification Summary
Located at the top of the report, this section includes:
- Company Info: HURU Technologies’ details, for verification and authenticity.
- Report Date & Time: When the report was generated.
- Request Details: Who requested the report (e.g., employer or partner), their account number, and communication channel used.
- QR Code: Use this to verify the authenticity of the report online.
2. Your Identification Details
This confirms your personal info and consent status:
- Name, ID Number, and Date of Birth
- Consent Type: Usually shown as “regular” – meaning you’ve authorized the check.
- Fingerprinting Location and Date
Tip: Always confirm your personal info is correct. This ensures the record check refers to you and not someone else.
3. Check Details & Result
This is the heart of the report and shows the outcome:
- Service Requested: “Premium Criminal Record Check”
- Reference Numbers: Useful if you need to follow up or authenticate the report.
- Status: Will either be:
- ✅ Clear – “NO PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS IDENTIFIED”
- ❗️ HIT – Possible criminal activity or pending trial identified.
- Don’t panic if you have a HIT – Learn your next steps and options here
Key Term: “Clear”
Means no previous criminal convictions or pending cases are found under your ID at the time of the search.
4. SAPS Verification (If Applicable)
If your report contains a HIT, a SAPS 69 report will be automatically requested from the South African Police Service (SAPS:
- This step can take 2 to 6 weeks.
- You’ll receive the result once SAPS completes their verification.
- The HURU CRC is not a Police Clearance Certificate.
5. Disclaimer & Use Cases
Understand the limits of the report:
- This report is not equivalent to a Police Clearance Certificate, which is issued solely by SAPS.
- Valid Uses: Employment screening, professional association applications (SACE, NCR, SAIT), or ride-hailing company requirements.
- Not Valid For: PrDP applications, PSiRA registration, or visa applications via VFS Global.
Responsibility Note: It’s up to the individual or organisation requesting the CRC to confirm it’s accepted for their purpose. HURU does not issue refunds if the report isn’t accepted by a third party.
Glossary of Key Terms
CRC – Criminal Record Check
Clear – No criminal convictions or pending charges found
Hit – Possible criminal activity or pending trial identified
Consent – Approval given to run the record check
SAPS – South African Police Service
AFISwitch – Third-party system authorised to access SAPS fingerprint database
Police Clearance Certificate – A separate document issued only by SAPS, often required for immigration and specific licensing
How to Authenticate Your Report
You can verify your report’s legitimacy using:
- The QR code included on the document
- The Afiswitch website: www.afiswitch.co.za
- Use the Host Request Reference and your ID Number